The Power of Faith Part 29

"'For of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of G.o.d is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.' 1 Cor.

1:30.

"'Seeing then that we have a great High-priest, who is pa.s.sed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of G.o.d, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not a High-priest who cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.' Heb. 4:14. 'For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord: I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts; and I will be to them a G.o.d, and they shall be to me a people: and they shall not teach every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord; for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.' Heb. 8:10-13.

"'This is the record, that G.o.d hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of G.o.d, hath not life.' 1 John 5:11, 12. Thanks be to G.o.d for his unspeakable gift.' 2 Cor. 9:15.

"'Truly my soul waiteth upon G.o.d; from him cometh my salvation.

He is my defence; I shall not be greatly moved. My soul, wait thou only upon G.o.d, for my expectation is from him: he only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defence; I shall not be moved. In G.o.d is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge is in G.o.d.' Psa. 62:1-7."

REST.

"'Thus the heavens and the earth were finished: and on the seventh day G.o.d ended his work which he had made, and he rested the seventh day from all his work which he had made; and G.o.d blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it, because that in it he had rested from all his work that he had created and made.' Genesis 2:1-3.

"'And Moses said, To-morrow is the rest of the holy Sabbath unto the Lord. So the people rested on the seventh day.' Exodus 16:23, 30.

"'And the women followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid. And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the Sabbath day according to the commandment.'

Luke 23:55, 56.

"Christ rested in the tomb of Joseph the last Sabbath under the law; but the evening and the morning were the first day. On that morning he closed his work of humiliation, manifested his victory over death--the curse denounced--by rising from the tomb, and rested on the first day of the week from all his humiliation work; his death, burial, and rest in the grave on the seventh day being the last part of that work."

"My G.o.d, thy service well demands The remnant of my days: Why is this feeble life preserved, But to repeat thy praise?

"Thine arms of everlasting love Do this weak frame sustain, While life is hovering o'er the grave, And nature sinks with pain.

"Thou, when the pains of death a.s.sail, Wilt chase the fears of h.e.l.l, And teach my pale and quivering lips Thy matchless grace to tell.

"Calmly I'll lay my fainting head On thy dear faithful breast: Pleased to obey my Father's call To his eternal rest.

"Into thy hands, my Saviour G.o.d, Do I my soul resign, In firm dependence on that truth That made salvation mine."

THE INWARD WARFARE.

"Strange and mysterious is my life; What opposites I feel within: A stable peace, a constant strife, The rule of grace, the power of sin.

Too often I am captive led, Yet daily triumph in my Head.

"I prize the privilege of prayer; But O, what backwardness to pray: Though on the Lord I cast my care, I feel its burden every day.

I seek his will in all I do, Yet find my own is working too.

"I call the promises mine own, And prize them more than mines of gold; Yet, though their sweetness I have known, They leave me unimpressed and cold.

One hour upon the truth I feed; The next, I know not what I read.

"I love the holy day of rest, When Jesus meets his gathered saints: Sweet day, of all the week the best, For its return my spirit pants; Yet often, through my unbelief, It proves a day of guilt and grief.

"While on my Saviour I rely, I know my foes shall lose their aim; And therefore dare their power defy, a.s.sured of conquest through his name; But soon my confidence is slain, And all my fears return again.

"Thus different powers within me strive, And death and sin by turns prevail.

I grieve, rejoice, decline, revive, And victory hangs in doubtful scale; But Jesus has his promise pa.s.sed, That grace shall overcome at last."

FLESH AND SPIRIT.

"What different powers of grace and sin Attend our mortal state: I hate the thoughts that work within, Yet do the works I hate.

"Now I complain, and groan, and die, While sin and Satan reign; Now raise my songs of triumph high, For grace prevails again.

"So darkness struggles with the light, Till perfect day arise; Water and fire maintain the fight, Until the weaker dies.

"Thus will the flesh and spirit strive, And vex and break my peace; But I shall quit this mortal life, And sin for ever cease."

"Join all the names of love and power That ever men or angels bore; All are too mean to speak his worth, Or set Emmanuel's glory forth.

"But O, what condescending ways He takes to teach his heavenly grace: Mine eyes, with joy and wonder, see What forms of love he bears for me.

"The Angel of the covenant stands, With his commission in his hands; Sent from his Father's milder throne, To make his great salvation known.

"Great Prophet, let me bless thy name; By thee the joyful tidings came, Of wrath appeased and sins forgiven, Of h.e.l.l subdued, and peace with heaven.

"My bright Example, and my Guide, I would be walking by thy side; Oh, let me never run astray, Nor follow the forbidden way.

"I love my Shepherd, he shall keep My wandering soul among his sheep; He feeds his flock, he tells their names, And in his bosom bears the lambs.

"My Surety undertakes my cause, Answering his Father's broken laws: Behold my soul at freedom set, My Surety paid the dreadful debt.

"Jesus, my great High-priest, has died, I seek no sacrifice beside; His blood did once for all atone, And now it pleads before the throne.

"My Advocate appears on high, The Father lays his thunders by; Not all that earth or h.e.l.l can say, Shall turn my Father's heart away.

"My Lord, my Conqueror, and my King, Thy sceptre and thy sword I sing; Thine is the victory, and I sit A joyful subject at thy feet.

"Aspire, my soul, to glorious deeds, The Captain of salvation leads; March on, nor fear to win the day, Though death and h.e.l.l obstruct thy way.

"Though death and h.e.l.l, and powers unknown, Put all their forms of mischief on, I shall be safe, for Christ displays Salvation in more sovereign ways."

"Be this my one great business here, With holy trembling, holy fear, To make my calling sure; Thine utmost counsel to fulfil, And suffer all thy righteous will, And to the end endure.

"Then, Saviour, then my soul receive, Transported from this vale, to live, And reign with thee above: Where faith is sweetly lost in sight, And hope in full supreme delight, And everlasting love."